Loading Problems

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pepperandoran

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My horse has taken it upon himself not to load into the trailer.
Has anyone any suggestions to help with this! Once in he seems to travel fine and is not unduly stressed or upset when we arrive at our destination.
Any help welcome!
 
Get a very wet sponge and flick water from it onto his bottom - can work with stubborn ones
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practice practice practice and yet more practice!

I have gone through all of this with my mare - when I went to collect her (she was an untouched 4yr old!!) it took us nearly 5 hours to get her in the trailer!
With the ones that are really stubborn (like my mare) flick water, poking with the bristles of a broom, shaking bags, tempting with food never seemed to have any effect.

I took some hints and tips from a (dare I say it....
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) monty roberts demo - where you take the reverse psychology view - and talk to your horse - walk him up to the ramp and then say no no no I don't want you to go in there and back him away from the ramp. It sounds crazy - but my mare went from spending several hours to load to loading within 2 - 3 minutes.

The other thing I did with my mare was to take her out 10 - 15 minutes down the road to the beach every weekend over the winter and sometimes both days of the weekend. Down on the beach we would do her favourite thing - running around like a headless chicken!!! BUt substitute this with whatever your horse enjoys most.

The final thing that I did that I think helped the most was that I always loaded my mare again as soon as I unloaded her where ever we were going. Again - I completely don't know why this worked - but after I started doing this I didn't have any more problems with loading her to come home

Sorry for long and rambly-ness
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Has he been loading fine until this point? Was there any incident that might have made him not want to load? Have you changed trailer/tow vehicle etc...?

In your opinion is he being stubborn, not wanting to go out, or is he worried about loading?

Try lots of groundwork exercises, leading him through poles, reversing him through poles, etc. Try lots of backing up exercises, eg, backing through an L shape.

Whgat does he do when he doesn't want to load - does he just stand at the bottom of the ramp, does he reverse at 90 miles an hour, or does he run off to the side? Trying parking trailer next to fence, to limit options of running to the side. There are lots of little tricks to loading safely and humanely, without resorting to whips, lungelines and brooms up the backside - if you want, pm me and I'll go through it in more detail.
 
I had a cob who wouldn't go into a trailer as he had banged his head with the previous owner, he was fine with BIG horseboxes and a little dubious of smaller boxes but refused point blank to go in a trailer!
 
cover the ramp and floor in front of it with straw

Feed in the trailer each night, no trailer, no dinner!

take out the partition before you try to load

rope on the bum (like they do at thr races)

Blind fold

can't think of anymore!! Google it!

Monty roberts' way nearly always work
 
I agree with this one above, it is EXACTLY how we broke my horse of the bad habit of not loading! Feed in the trailer, no load, no feed! Simple! This was about 9 years ago and we did it for about two weeks and he was cured! Good luck x x x
 
I have had mega problems in the past with Jed loading, 5 hours at a show once, in the end we literally had to lift him in! (Hes alot of horse to lift too)

I tried patients, his favourite treat ball, food and about anything else he loved in the box and he started to comply!

I think he is scared of heights, so i have purchased a 4x4 and will buy a trailer.

I will also try the water and flick thing with him as he doesnt like water much!
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Agree with one of the above posts in that reverse pyschology works, if they pick up that you want them to go in then they dont like the pressure you put on them and wont.

My mare who was progressively worse and worse came around by me standing her near the trailer and reversing her, one foot on trailer and reversing her back and so on. it really confused her and then i would walk and she would follow me forward. Praise even if they move one leg etc, and allow lots of time to keep practising backwards and forwards movements, even walk them sideways across ramp. Keep your energy level low too so they dont sense any frustration...
Mind you the first time i did this exercise i was out there hour and half but i never looked back..
 
The Monty Roberts demo for loading is available on YouTube, just put a search in for Monty Roberts and a few different ones come up (along with some hilarious home made loading movies which I don't recommend you follow!!) I'm not a big fan of the Dually (TM!) but it's the same effect with a rope halter. Just make sure you are VERY consistant with the pressure - release - reward though or it won't work.
 
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